Monday, December 2, 2013

Glad To Be Here

We have approximately one zillion leaves that fall in our yard in the fall. It's the price we pay for cool shade in the summer and an exquisite autumn display in October. One Sunday afternoon in late October the wind picked up and most every leaf shook loose from its branch. The kids ran in and begged me to come out and enjoy it with them. "You've gotta see this, mom!" they insisted. "It's raining leaves!!"

It took a few invitations, but I finally set aside whatever I was doing and went outside. The trampoline was covered with leaves - like Autumn made her own confetti. We jumped and frolicked (that's kind of a syrupy, embellished word, but really, there isn't another verb for what we were doing in the leaves :) We raked up big piles in the backyard and the kids jumped in them (like twice - leaf jumping loses its appeal rather quickly, doesn't it?)

The weather and my children enchanted me equally. A quintessential Autumn afternoon. Chilly enough to need a jacket, but not cold. Little fits of rain. Sunshine that peeked and hid behind threatening clouds. And season-changing winds that swirled the leaves and tangled our hair. I kept thinking to myself, I'm so glad I'm out here. I'm so glad I'm out here.

It's a common refrain.
I look around at this life we're in - the parts that came right from God Himself and the parts we've built with our own tears and dreams and I think, I'm so glad to be here. So glad to be here.